Trainee teacher jailed over indecent images of children

A Burgess Hill man has been sent to prison for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Richard Payne, 45, a trainee teacher, of Sycamore Drive, Burgess Hill, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday May 25.

He had previously pleaded guilty to six offences relating to indecent images of children (IIOC), said a Sussex Police spokesman.

They were three offences of making a total of 952 indecent images and three offences of distributing images.

Some 241 images were of Category A, the most serious category; 109 were Category B; and 602 were Category C.

The police spokesman said: “He was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. He was also served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last indefinitely severely restricting his access to children and computers, and will be a Registered Sex Offender for life.

“A Forfeiture and Destruction Order was made for his three computers.

“Payne had been arrested at his home address on Wednesday April 26, following an intelligence-led investigation by the Sussex Police Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT).

“None of the images, all taken from the internet, are believed to be of local children where he lives or at any location at which he has worked, and there is no evidence of any contact offending or risk to local children.”

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